Smitten is a cute little made-to-order ice cream shop in Hayes Valley. They make your ice cream from scratch right in front of you in super cold mixers, so that it is as creamy as possible. If there is any an occasion to scream for ice cream, this is it.

The thought and care that Smitten takes in making their delicious product makes my ice cream splurge worth it. First of all, their ice cream is made with a special mixer that they invented! It uses nitrogen to rapidly freeze the mixture so that the ice crystals that form are very, very small. This makes for an incredibly creamy concoction. Additionally, they use only natural ingredients, sourcing locally and using organic milk.

I ordered the salted caramel ice cream, and my lovely friend got vanilla with pistachio brittle topping. This is a picture she took of her ice cream and our shoes. There are no pictures of my salted caramel ice cream because it was gone soon after it was handed to me, but trust me when I say it was beautiful.